When Ohio State takes the field Saturday for the first time this season against Navy, it will do so without quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Braxton Miller.

The explosive signal-caller suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder during practice on Aug. 18, and it was determined that he will miss the entire 2014 campaign, according to ESPN.com.

That is obviously a huge blow to the Buckeyes as they enter the season as the No. 5 team in the country with national championship aspirations as well. Those dreams aren’t crushed yet, but they will unquestionably be far more difficult to attain.

On the plus side, Miller has since undergone surgery and started his recovery in hopes of getting back to full health for the 2015 slate. Per ESPN Big Ten on Twitter, Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer revealed that the surgery went as expected:

Following the procedure, Miller posted a photo of himself with Dr. James Andrews on his Instagram account and relayed a positive message as well:

“Me & the best to do it , Dr. Andrews after surgery today! So happy this man said everything went well!”

Despite the fact that Miller is on the shelf, he was still voted one of the Buckeyes’ team captains for 2014, according to Meyer:

Per ESPN.com’s Austin Ward, Meyer plans to use Miller as a captain throughout the season, although he won’t be present for the opener at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore against the Midshipmen.